Do Air Purifiers really Work for Allergies? and How? – Let’s find the answer

Even if you were to clean your home every hour, it would not be enough to completely purge the air of allergens and other airborne contaminants. This is why you may find allergen sufferers even in the neatest environments.

In the US alone, there are over 50 million people who have this condition, and it’s one of the chief factors responsible for the cause and persistence of chronic illnesses like asthma.

The use of air purifiers is commonly adopted in homes to handle this allergen problem. But like most people, you might be asking – do air purifiers really work for allergens? And if so, how does it work?

We will be answering these questions in this article.

First, we will start by giving a short answer just in case you’re in a hurry. Next, we will go ahead to give a more detailed explanation so you can decide if the investment is worth it.

At a Glance: Using Air Purifiers for Allergens

So can air purifiers handle allergies?

The short answer is yes. But not every type of air purifier. Only an air purifier that features a True HEPA filter can be used to tackle allergies.

This type of filter is specifically designed to remove up to 99.97 percent allergens. And these include particles with sizes as small as 0.3 microns such as those commonly found in dust, pollen, pet dander, mold and mildew, and so on.

Now let’s get into a more detailed explanation by first looking at what triggers allergens inside a home.

Causes of Allergies

It’s a good idea to first know what brings about indoor allergies before we start looking at whether or not an air purifier can help.

It is important to note that are different types of allergies just as we have different things that can trigger them. While some people may react to multiple allergens in the air, others may be sensitive to just one type.

Whether you respond to one or more types of allergen is less important; what really matters is how you’re able to rid your indoor air of these particles.

Below are the most common allergy triggers in homes and offices:

Mold

Mildew

Dust

Pollen

Pet Dander

Dust Mist

Insects

VOCs

Note: VOCs (volatile organic compounds) are commonly found in cleaning solutions, paints, furniture, and glues, which are things that are present in almost every home.

Do Air Purifiers Work for Allergies?

Yes, they do, but not every type of air purifier.

So how do allergies make their way to your nostrils?

Allergens are produced from different sources and saturate your indoor air, after which they begin to settle on various surfaces such as the carpet, upholstery, clothing, drapes, and so on.

Once you disturb or stir any one of these places (maybe you walk across the carpet or touch the drapes), the allergens are immediately transferred back into the surrounding air, which you then breathe in.

You can now see why it seems allergies often come out from nowhere. Thankfully, you can get relief by placing an air purifier around.

With the right purifier, you can significantly reduce the number of allergies in your indoor air. Luckily, these appliances are also great for eliminating bad odors. This makes them one of the best solutions available for cleaning indoor air.

However, just as we indicated earlier, not all types of purifiers will work for allergies. In other words, if you buy just any purifier, you may not experience any relief from allergies.

The best air purifier for allergies is the one that uses a True HEPA Filter. Any other type of filter might not be effective. So make sure you keep this in mind.

As earlier indicated, HEPA filters can filter particles up to 0.3 microns in size, which is quite small. In fact, it’s nearly seven times smaller than the size of a human hair, so it’s not something you can see with the naked eye. This is good because allergies, too, are invisible.

HEPA filters are highly effective as they remove up to 99.97 percent of these allergies. So yes, HEPA filter air purifiers can help with allergies.

You Will Need More Than One Air Purifier

Unfortunately, just one air purifier might not be enough for the whole house.

In case you don’t know, air purifiers do not suck in air through walls — in other words, they are only effective in the room you place them. For instance, if you decide to place the appliance in your living room, then it means only the air in your living room will be purified.

If there are allergies in your bedroom, then you won’t get any relief when you go there to sleep, except you also have an air purifier in the room.

As a result, it is common for people to opt for standalone portable air purifiers they can easily carry around the house. But if it’s possible, it’s better you have individual units in each room where you need relief from allergies.

You can also use air purifiers in basements too if you spend a lot of time there.

The Size of the Device Is a Big Deal

Another thing worth mentioning is that the air purifier size is important. It is not enough to just get a good HEPA air purifier. You need to choose the right size.

An air purifier, no matter how powerful, will not be effective in a room if it’s not correctly sized for the room.

So make sure you get a unit that is the right size for the room you want to use it in. Most products usually come labeled with a room coverage rating. You can compare this with your room’s square footage to figure out if they match up.

Final Remarks

So once again, do air purifiers work for allergies? The basic answer is yes, provided the air purifier uses a true HEPA filter and is rightly sized for the room you want to place it.

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